Code Geass: Cecianah of the Conspiracy
by TheDemonLord06
Summary: What you don't know can't hurt you. This old saying proves to be terribly false after Cecianah finds herself targeted because of her lineage. Cecianah will soon find herself caught up in a whirlwind a secrets and conspiracy. Takes place 17 years after R2.
1. The Man in Black

The year was 2035 A.T.B. of the Imperial calendar. 17 years had passed since the Great War had decimated the world, and in its place peace had firmly taken hold. The United States of Japan was a thriving nation with a stable economy based off of the export of Securidite (an energy conducting material vital to the operation of Knightmare frames) and tourism. The place was a popular tourist destination, Japan being a nation with rich historical background. As the starting place of the Black Rebellion and a major battleground of the Great War, the land was full of museums and monuments, the largest of which was the Empress Nunnally vi Britannia International Wartime Memorial, which also served as a museum chronicling the rise Zero and the defeat of Lelouche vi Britannia. As it was located conveniently close to the Ashford Academy, it was a popular site for school trips, as was the case today.

Cecianah Kozuki stood, transfixed by the massive painting hanging on the wall in front of her. It was a picture of a man with jet-black hair and purple eyes striking a noble pose with his sword, looking up into the sun. He looked so handsome and dignified; it was hard to believe that he was Lelouche the Demon, instigator of the Great War and enemy of the entire world. Cecianah turned her attention towards the plaque at the bottom of the picture.

_Lelouche vi Britannia was 10 years old when his mother, Empress Marianne the Flash, was killed by political infighting among the royals. He and his sister, Nunnally vi Britannia, fled Pendragon and took refuge in the former nation of Japan. It is unknown where the pair went after Britannia invaded Japan, though it is suspected the emperor-to-be was somehow involved with the Black Knights. On March 16th, 2017, a Royal Officer named Villeta Nu filed a report stating that she was following a possible lead on a Black Knight guerilla operative named Lelouche Lamperouge. Officer Nu disappeared for several months before reappearing at the height of the Black Rebellion, and the case was transferred to the Britannian O.S.I. (Office of Secret Intelligence) shortly after. The case file has still not been made public, and (former) Officer Nu has declined to comment on the nature of the case. However, the strategies employed by Lelouche during the Great War indicate that he learned them by spending time in the Black Knights and watching Zero in action. Indeed, their strategies are so similar that many historians argue whether or not Lelouche learned them directly from Zero himself. After assassinating his father, Emperor Charles zi Britannia, and seizing power in 2018, one of Lelouche's first orders was to abolish the Nobleman system and make all citizens but him equal. Most historians agree that the purpose behind this order was twofold: First, to avenge the death of his mother (who was killed by conspiring nobles) and secondly, to eliminate potential rivals. After crushing several unsuccessful uprisings, Lelouche declared that Britannia was ready to join the newly formed U.F.N. However, this proved to be only a ploy designed to lure the U.F.N. into a false sense of security, as Lelouche declared war on the U.F.N. at the same peace talks that were to allow Britannia to join. Lelouche eventually defeated the U.F.N. and conquered the entire world, but was publicly assassinated by Zero one month after his victory. After Nunnally vi Britannia ascended to the throne, a peace treaty was created and Britannia was allowed to join the U.F.N., officially ending the Great War._

Cecianah stood there for a few moments, lost in thought. She was jerked out of her reverie by her sister, Raiko Kozuki. "Hey sis. What's up?" she inquired teasingly, for it was not unusual for Cecianah to daydream.

"Oh, nothing, sis." smiled Cecianah, taking in note of her sister's appearance. Raiko Kozuki was the very image of her mother, Kallen Kozuki, with the same eyes and hair color, only with hair that fell down to her hips, usually pulled back into a ponytail. She did this to distinguish herself from her mother, who liked her hair short and loose. Cecianah, on the other hand, looked nothing like either her mother or her sister, with waist length jet-black hair and amber eyes. When she was seven, Kallen had told her that she was adopted. At first it had bothered her, but now she didn't mind. Looking at her and Raiko, it seemed laughable that she had ever thought that they were blood sisters. Not that they weren't sisters in every other respect, for Cecianah and Raiko were very close.

Raiko noticed the picture behind Cecianah and instantly became a little more solemn. "He looks so… Impressive, doesn't he? Still, I mean-"

"You know what, Ces? I think he looks like _you_." joked Ben as he walked up. Benjamin Johnson was a member of the student council, just like Cecianah and Raiko, but he was also the star of the school football team. Tall and well built, with brown hair and blue eyes as well as a fun and easygoing attitude, he seemed to be every girl's dream boy. Well, _almost_ every girl's dream boy. Raiko thought he was all that and more, but Cecianah didn't really care for him. She thought him to be too arrogant, as though he thought good looks and popularity could carry him through life. _In some ways_, she thought wryly, _he really _does_ think that. After all, his grades a terrible._

Raiko looked back and forth from the painting to Cecianah. "Hey, you're kinda right!"

"No, he's not. He was a world-conquering emperor, and I'm just a schoolgirl. What could we possibly have in common?"

"Well, now that you mention it…" Ben adopted a kingly pose, pretending to give orders. "'Ben, don't do that, it's against the rules. Ben, don't eat that, it's bad for your health. Ben, work harder, your grades are terrible. Ben-'"

"Shut up." muttered Cecianah, though Raiko was busting up in laughter.

From across the hall, one of the other student council members called out gleefully "Yeah, that Ben guy is a total _loser_!" Ben smiled wryly and good-naturedly went to beat up the offender.

Cecianah turned back towards Raiko. "You go on ahead. I wanted to check out that garden over there."

"Okay. See you in a bit."

"Yeah. Later."

Cecianah walked toward the entrance to the garden, thinking as she went. As terrible as Lelouche the Demon had been, she had to admit that after touring most of the museum she had developed a grudging respect for the former emperor. There was something noble about avenging the death of a loved one, something righteous about striking back at a world that had betrayed you.

Without realizing it, she had reached the center of the garden. It was enclosed in a bubble of special plastic, so that sunlight could still filter through but the noise of the traffic outside was filtered out. It was a tranquil place.

In the center of the garden, surrounded by tall hedges, was a small clearing with a statue in the middle. The statue was that of a loving mother playing with her children, a boy and a girl. The inscription at the bottom of the statue read, in old Britannian letters, "Verily, we were all young once." With a jolt, Cecianah realized that the little boy was a young Lelouche vi Britannia.

Looking closer, she deduced that the mother was Empress Marianne and that the little girl was a youthful Nunnally vi Britannia. She wondered what it must have been like for the current empress, for she knew from history class that Nunnally had fought against Lelouche in the Great War. Had they been close? Had it been difficult for both of them? Or had they both merely been looking out for their own best interests? From what she knew of the Royals, they hadn't exactly been your classic happy family. But if this statue was anything to go by, then Lelouche and Nunnally had had a normal childhood, maybe arguing just like other siblings, but probably loving each other all the same. If that was the case, then-

Cecianah was unpleasantly jolted out of her reverie by a hand roughly grasping on her shoulder. To her embarrassment, she emitted a squeak of fear and spun around. Facing her has a tall man in black pants, a black trench coat, a black hat, sunglasses, and a black scarf that obscured his face. "Sorry I scared you." he said, and to Cecianah's surprise she found his voice very cultured and pleasant. "But you're in danger here. There are men who might try to hurt you. You need to leave."

"Wait, I don't understand. What are you-" but she was interrupted by the sound of several guns being cocked at once. The man in black whirled around to face 5 men in tan trench coats. All of them had drawn MGs-17 submachine guns and had pointed them at Cecianah and the man in black.

"_Umbra Imperatoris _agents, eh? I don't suppose we could talk things out?" said the man in black almost mockingly.

"Silence, Geass demon." said one of the men in trench coats. "Your pleading will get you nowhere."

"At least spare the girl, will you? She hasn't done anything wrong."

"She is the daughter of a witch. We must kill her."

"She isn't technically a 'demon.' Why take an innocent life?"

"Silence, warlock. Someone like you could never understand our reasoning."

"Oh really? I don't see why not. After all, it's not incredibly complicat-" The man in black's jest was cut off by a few rounds of machinegun fire tearing through his body. He jerked for a few moments, then fell at Cecianah's feet, clearly dead. Cecianah looked on in horror as his blood formed a pool around his body.

Then the men turned their guns on her. "Well, daughter of a witch, any last words?" sneered the one who had talked with the man in black.

_No_ thought Cecianah desperately. _No, it can't end like this._ Her life flashed before her eyes. Raiko, her mother, her father, Ashford, the student council… Then her desperation turned to pure anger. _If only I weren't so_ weak, she thought. _I only I had_ power! _Then I could kill these men. I could destroy anyone who tried to threaten me. I could find out why they wanted to kill me in the first place. I could do anything! I would do everything! Power! I would do anything for it._

Then, to her shock, the man in black's hand surged back to life, pulled down her sock, and grasped her bare ankle. As soon as their skin came into contact, Cecianah saw herself in a different place. Red energy surged all around her, and the man in black's voice echoed all around her, seemingly everywhere at once.

_Power? I could give you such power. With it you will not only be able to escape these men, but kill them all. With it, you can crush anything or anyone that gets in your way. But this power will be both a gift and a curse. You must control it, or it will control you. And if you use this power of a king, you will walk a path of solitude._

_Yes, _Cecianah. _Anything to be able to escape this place. To get my revenge._

_Very well then. _echoed the man in black. _In exchange for this miraculous power, you must grant me my one wish. I hereby grant you the power of Geass!_

Cecianah was suddenly returned to the present. But she felt… Different. Newer. Stronger. She chuckled and looked up, making eye contact with the man on the very right. She felt her energy flowing into him, down a red pathway lined with what looked suspiciously like neurons, until they finally affected the very structure of his brain. Though his companions did not notice it, his eyes began to glow red. He nodded and stepped back a few feet.

"Last words?" she and the man said in unison said. "Only three. 'Look behind you.'" In confusion, the other four men looked at their companion, only to be sprayed by a burst of machinegun fire.

The man was terrified, unable to understand why his limbs wouldn't respond to him. Cecianah could feel this, but she was too exhilarated to care. She laughed and inadvertently the terrified man laughed too, horrified at his own reaction. Then she had him unload the rest of the round into his own chest. Taking care to step over the pools of blood, she went on her way.

Cecianah knew that because the garden had been soundproof, nobody had heard the gunfire. Nevertheless, she estimated that she had 15 minutes tops before the bodies were found. She had that long to get herself away from the garden and rejoin her classmates.

As she walked up to the group, Raiko turned around and frowned at her. "What's wrong?" she asked. "You look pale."

"I'm fine." Cecianah assured her. Then the intercom system came to life.

"Attention all visitors! The Empress Nunnally vi Britannia International Wartime Memorial has decided to close for the day. Please make your way to the nearest exit." Amid the many grumblings and moans of complaint (and here and there a shout of triumph), the class made it's way to the exit of the museum.

* * *

When Raiko and Cecianah got home, they found a note scribbled on the fridge. It read:

_Hey kids. I got an urgent call from work, so I need to go into the office. Your father should be home by six, providing this doesn't end up involving his department too. Find something to eat, relax, and __do your homework __(that means you, Raiko). Love- Mom_

Gino Weinberg, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Order of the Black Knights (U.S.J. charter), had found quite the niche in his office community. Even though the entire world had joined the United Federation of Nations (and thus forsaken native military power), the Black Knights still had their contracts to protect their host nations. Thus, these days the Black Nights found themselves fighting terrorists more than outside powers, and because their work now involved more detective work than simple fighting power, many former soldiers had been drafted to anti-terrorist departments. Gino Weinberg was one of these, though his Knightmare frame, the Trisiten, was still used whenever more serious firepower was needed. In his office, he was famed for being one of the more favorable bosses, being much more laid back and relaxed then most. Even though he was now approaching 35, his easygoing attitude and charming smile hadn't changed much since the Great War, and more than one of the pretty and young office secretaries had tried to approach him. However, each time Gino had turned them down, explaining that he had a family who trusted him and a wife he loved very much. Indeed, the reason he was only a Lieutenant Colonel after 17 years of service was that he had spent most of his early married life as a stay-at-home dad.

As Gino approached his home on foot, his mouth twisted into a wry smile as he realized that despite the fact that Lelouche had stripped away his family's status, the only thing that had really mattered to him at the time, he really owed his entire current life to him. If he hadn't tried to rebel, he would have never joined the Black Knights, and never would have married his wife. For that matter, he wouldn't have his two kids, either.

"Hey girls!" he called out as he walked in the front door. "Is your mom home?"

"No." chorused Cecianah and Raiko. Gino sighed and looked at the note on the fridge.

"What about your homework?" he asked.

"Done." Said Cecianah as she walked into the kitchen. Raiko merely groaned as she did the same.

"Not going too well?" Gino asked his daughter, grinning.

"I'll _never_ get this chapter of math. Mr. Cardemonde is cool and all, but even he can't make it understandable."

"You know he wants us to call him Mr. Rivalz." said Cecianah.

"Yeah, I know, but it's weird, calling a teacher by their first name."

"So how is good 'ole Rivalz doing these days?" inquired Gino.

"What do you- Oh, that's right! You and Mr. Rivalz used to serve on the student council together, didn't you?" exclaimed Raiko.

"Yeah, we sure did, along with Milly too. You know her as Principal Ashford, though."

"So was he like that with Principal Ashford back then, too?"

"What, you mean, did he like her? Yeah, sure did. That's still going on, is it?"

"Yeah. It's kind of sad, actually."

Gino laughed. "It's all _his_ fault, you know. What he doesn't realize is that she'd totally go out with him if he'd just muster the nerve to ask her out. She's been waiting 18 years for that. They'd better get a move on soon. Clock's tickin'."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know… If they wanna have kids…"

Raiko grimaced. "Ah, geez dad. _Gross._ Don't even talk about stuff like that."

"Hey, just sayin'."

At this point, a very exhausted Kallen chose to make her entrance. "Hey kids. What's for dinner?"

Everyone looked at Gino. "Hey, don't look at me." He protested.

"Well, all right." said Kallen, heading over to the stove with calculated slowness. "I'll cook it…" She grinned triumphantly amidst the many choruses of "No!" "Come on!" and "You do it dad!"

"All right, all right, geez…" grumbled Gino. "I don't even know my position in this family anymore. _I _cook all the meals, _I_ do all the laundry, and it was all I could do to stop myself from taking _her_ name instead of her taking mine."

"Well, honey, y'know…" grinned Kallen.

Gino held up a finger. "Don't even say it. 17 years you've been trying to get me to change my name, but it's the last shred of manly pride I have left. Don't take even that away from me. Heck, you even had our kids called 'Kozuki'!"

"Hey!" said Kallen, pretending to be offended. "I went through a lot because of that name!" Everyone laughed.

"So what will it be tonight?" asked Gino. "Hamburgers or Sushi?" Kallen and Raiko immediately called out "Sushi" at the same time that Cecianah said "Hamburgers". "17 years in this country" said Gino, shaking his head "and I'll never get used to the food here. Cecianah, you must have Britannian blood in you, 'cause you are the most sensible, level-headed, rational woman I know."

"What about me?" protested Kallen.

"I repeat: Cecianah, you must-" he was interrupted as Kallen good-naturedly threw an oven mitt at him. "Anyways, I'm cooking the food, so my vote counts for two. Hamburgers it is!" Raiko and Kallen groaned.

"What did you mean when you said Cecianah must have Britannian blood in her because she's rational?" smiled Kallen dangerously. "Not feeling a bit of your old nationalism, are you?"

"_Old_ nationalism? Girl, I'm _still_ a nationalist. Face it, we didn't become the world's largest empire by being stupid."

"But what did you mean that a Britannian in _particular_ would be rational? What if she was Japanese?"

"Does she look Japanese to you? And, let's face it, if you're dumb enough to take on the world's dominant superpower…"

"Hey! We won, didn't we?"

"Yeah, after _I_ joined."

"Here we go again…"

Raiko looked between her parents confusedly. "What do you mean 'nationalism'? Dad, didn't you betray Britannia during the Great War?"

Gino looked at her, suddenly serious. "_I_ didn't betray my country. By the time I defected to the Black Knights, my country no longer existed. _Lelouche _was the one who betrayed Britannia. He thoroughly destroyed everything it had stood for. Even now, though it's no longer a dictatorship under Empress Nunnally, the old Britannia is gone."

* * *

Later, as Raiko and Cecianah were getting ready for bed, Raiko looked a Cecianah concernedly. "Are you all right? You seem quiet tonight. Is something the matter?"

"It's all right. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Is it Ben? You know he was only joking around today-"

"As if I cared what he thought!"

Raiko was silent for a moment. "He really likes you, you know."

"Don't be ridiculous." protested Cecianah. "We have nothing in common."

"He _really _likes you, I mean." The edge in Raiko's voice made Cecianah turn to face her. She found her gaze surprisingly accusatory. Raiko plowed on, as though she was afraid that she would stop. "I mean, he can't understand why you don't like him when every other girl in school does."

"W-well," stammered Cecianah, trying to inject what she felt was some reason into the conversation. "If he only wants to collect the only trophy he hasn't got yet, then that's not exactly a recipe for a successful relationship, is it? He'd just lose interest in me and go back to pursuing some busty airheaded girl like he always has."

Raiko only looked at her critically and then flopped on her bed with a "hmph!" Later, as Cecianah laid there in the dark, unable to get to sleep, she had to admit she was genuinely concerned. She didn't like Ben, and it was clear that Raiko did, but what was she supposed to do? Go out with Ben because Raiko thought she should? That would only make Raiko angrier. But if she didn't, then Raiko would be mad that she was hurting Ben. Cecianah covered her head with her pillow. It was all so confusing!

_But now you've got more important things to worry about _said a little voice inside her head. Cecianah began to recall the events at the museum. _Who were those people_ she wondered. _And why did they want to kill me? _As Cecianah rolled over and looked at Raiko's sleeping form, she came to a realization. It didn't matter what current difficulties she and Raiko were having. She loved her sister, and if something was threatening their life together, then she would eradicate it using any means necessary. And it wasn't just Raiko, either. Her mom, her dad, the student council at Ashford (including, she grudgingly admitted, Ben)… She would fight to protect it all. At any cost…

But then the memory of using the man to kill his companions and himself came back, and Cecianah felt her stomach lurch. Jumping out of bed, she barely made it to the bathroom in time.

After it was over, she washed her mouth out and looked in the mirror, staring hard at her reflection. Could she do it again? Could she take another life? Would it be worth it? From their room, Raiko called out "Ces? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." replied Cecianah. Looking back at her reflection, she reached for the power she knew was now inside her. Her left eye turned blood red, with a bird-like symbol inside of it. She could feel all of the energy in the house, from the computer in her room to the electricity in the walls to Raiko. Cecianah grinned, which, along with the red eye, gave her a slightly deranged look. Would she do it again? Absolutely. Family came first, after all. Cecianah began to cackle before realizing what she was doing and shoved her knuckles into her mouth in an attempt to stifle to laughter.

_I must be _really _tired_ she thought as she headed back to her bedroom. As she went in, she heard the phone ring. Assuming that nobody worth talking to would call past 10 o'clock, she went fell back onto her bed. She heard Raiko answer the phone.

"Hello? Yeah, it is. Yes, she's right here. Yeah, I'll get her. Ces! It's for you."

Cecianah groaned and got up, taking the phone from Raiko. "Hello?" she asked blurrily.

"It's me." said the voice on the phone. Cecianah was visibly startled by the voice.

It was the voice of the man in black.


	2. Echoes of Danger

"It's me." Cecianah nearly dropped the phone in surprise. _What the heck?_ she thought wildly. _He's supposed to be dead!_

"Give me a second." she said, doing her best to keep her voice level. She walked to the bathroom and closed the door. "All right: What do you want?"

"To help you." said the voice on the phone. "You want to eradicate the force that tried to kill you today, right?"

"Yes…"

"Then it just so happens that we have similar goals. I can help you with that. Meet me in front of the café on Lawrence Street tomorrow at 3:30. Don't be late. And if you see anyone tailing you, let me know when you see me."

"Shouldn't I abort the meeting if someone is tailing me?"

"No. If you're being watched, the most important thing is that I know immediately. Can you make our meeting?"

Cecianah did some quick calculations. Lawrence Street was only a few blocks away from Ashford. If she hurried after the student council meeting ended, she should have enough time to get there.

"Yeah, I can."

"Good. See you in 17 hours."

"Wait! What's your name?"

The man on the phone paused. "I have had many names. However, I suppose that you could call me L.L."

"Okay. See you then… L.L."

L.L. hung up.

Cecianah hung up the phone and went back to her room. Raiko looked at her curiously. "Who was that?"

"No one."

"Fine then. Don't tell me."

"C'mon, Raiko. Don't be like that."

"You're right, I'm sorry." conceded Raiko. "But seriously, who was that?"

"Just… Just this guy." said Cecianah. _You're not lying to her because you're trying to deceive her or you enjoy it. _Cecianah told herself. _You're doing it to protect her._

"Oooohh? A guy? What's he like?"

"Well… Enigmatic, frankly."

"Oh. I see."

"I bet you don't even know what that means." smiled Cecianah

"No, I don't." They both laughed. "Do you think you might go out with him?"

"Not really." replied Cecianah as she climbed into bed. "It's more of a business relationship."

"A business relationship? You mean, like a job?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." _Yes, you could_ thought Cecianah as she drifted off to sleep. _And me and L.L. have our work cut out for us.

* * *

_

The next morning Kallen Kozuki woke up at 6 o'clock as usual, which was just early enough to eat some breakfast and see the kids off to school before going into the office. She went downstairs to find her husband fixing hash browns and eggs, wearing his "Real Men Cook" apron.

"Western food _again?_" she teased him as she sat down.

Gino stuck out his tongue at her. "What, you'd rather have fried squid?"

"Hey! Squid is _good_." Gino rolled his eyes but smiled.

Cecianah came downstairs at 6:30 sharp (as usual) ate her breakfast, got ready for the day, and spent her spare 15 minutes reviewing her notes from the previous few days. Raiko stumbled down the stairs around 6:45-ish, blearily ate her breakfast, noticed the time, ran back up the stairs, and barely got ready on time before rocketing back down in a desperate attempt to find her backpack and homework (all as usual). However, both girls were ready to leave by 7:15, their appointed leaving time.

"Have a good day, girls!" called Kallen as they left. "Okay mom!" they called back. Kallen in turn got ready to go to work, kissed her husband good-bye (he didn't have to go in until later) and went to catch the train to work. On the way there, Kallen reflected on how things had changed in the Black Knights over the years. What had started out as a rebel insurgency had eventually become a world-spanning security contractor that almost every nation on earth. Even Zero squad, the most elite forces in the Black Knights, had evolved from the most skilled fighting force in the world to a primarily morale-boosting squad, putting on air shows around the world for Black Knight members and their families. Even though they still trained for battle and were still probably some of the best fighting forces there were, Kallen preferred to be where the real action was, and thus had resigned her post as captain of Zero squad and had returned to the U.S.J., so that she could spend more time with her family. Kallen now commanded the internal security departments of the Black Knights, U.S.J. charter, and spent most of her time doing administrative work. Normally, Kallen would have hated this, but she still had the power to join in on regular cases, and enjoyed working with actual people instead of doing paperwork or holding meetings on how to increase things like "inter-departmental efficiency." Plus, it made her more popular with her subordinates, both direct and indirect, and that made it easier to give orders or get things done when she really needed them to.

Kallen sighed and looked at the paper she had brought from home about an incident that had caught her eye yesterday. It really was a perplexing case. Yesterday at about 12:58, a tour going through the Empress Nunnally vi Britannia International Wartime Memorial had entered the center of the garden there to find 6 bodies sprawled on the ground in pools of blood. Naturally, the crowd had panicked, but the tour guide managed to keep them there and had alerted the proper authorities, and the museum closed for the day without incident. However, the investigation was not going quite as smoothly. Kallen had decided yesterday that she would take on this case. She hoped poor Satoshi wouldn't take it too personally, but she needed to get out of the office and actually _do_ something for a change.

A soon as she arrived, Kallen asked about any progress that had been made since yesterday. "Not much, ma'am." said Satoshi. "We took extensive photos of the positions of the bodies, since Doug wasn't available at the time. He'll be looking at them later today to deduce what he can. The autopsy for the bodies is also scheduled for today. And, uh, incidentally, ma'am… You know the sixth body? The one dressed all in black? It's disappeared. No one knows where it is."

"Disappeared…? What do you mean?"

"Well, you see…" Satoshi went on to explain that workers at the morgue where the bodies were being stored had gone to get the bodies for the autopsy that morning. The five men in tan trench coats were still there, but the man in black was gone.

"Did the morgue have security of any kind?"

"Actually, they did, ma'am. Because we use this particular morgue to store bodies sensitive to court or anti-terrorist cases, the morgue is paid extras to keep the bodies secure. There's security officers and card systems at every entrance. The card systems keep track of who's in the building at what times and the guards make sure nobody without a card gets in."

"Then how did the body get out? And why would someone steal that particular body? Why not any of the others?"

"That's what everybody's asking, ma'am."

"Hmm… How long until Doug starts his analysis?"

"About an hour, ma'am."

"That's long enough. Let's go to the scene itself. I have a few questions I'd like to ask."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

The morgue itself was a friendly-looking brick building whose appearance did little to mask the aura of death around it. Kallen marched straight through the doors and up to the front desk.

"Colonel Kallen Kozuki, Black Knights, U.S.J. charter. We have some questions we'd like to ask concerning the missing body." said Kallen to the nervous-looking secretary.

"Of course. What would you like to know?"

After asking the basic questions (when was the body discovered missing, did anyone see anything unusual, had they searched the entire building, ect.), Kallen moved on to what she'd really come here for. "This building has a system that records when the employees are here, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am. But it's impossible that one of our own would-"

"Yes, I understand the sentiment. All the same, could you check the records for me? See if there was any unusual checking-in or checking-out times yesterday or today."

"All right. Just give me a few minutes…" the secretary brought up the records on her computer and scanned them quickly. "No unusual activity, except that Eli Ryan was a little late checking out last night, but that's all. And it's perfectly normal for there to be a few minutes of variability. I mean, it's not all that unusual-" Kallen held up her hand.

"Once, again, we understand the sentiment, but it's the only lead we have." Kallen turned around to face he room at large. "Does anyone know where we can find Eli Ryan!" she shouted to the room. To her surprise, there was a scuffling sound from the janitor's closet, then a rhythmic pounding and muffled shouts. The security guard raced over to unlock the closet, which revealed a tired, disheveled, and angry-looking man in his underwear.

"_I'm_ Eli Ryan. And have I got some complaints!"

"What happened here?" asked Kallen amid the snickering of the other employees. The man went on to explain that he had been checking out for the day when someone had knocked him out from behind. When he had woken up, he was locked in the janitor's closet without his clothes.

"That was _not funny_, guys!" shouted Eli. Kallen looked over at Satoshi and he nodded, confirming that they were thinking the same thing. _This seems too far and too suspicious to be an office prank._ Their suspicions were confirmed when the burly, heavily mustached security officer spoke up.

"Wait, _that's_ Eli Ryan?"

"It would appear so, yeah." said Kallen, since everyone else seemed too busy chatting about this amusing event to notice.

"But I thought Eli Ryan was the last person to leave last night."

"Yeah, he was."

"But that can't be right." continued the security guard. "Because the last person to leave last night looked nothing like that."

"Oh really? What did he look like?"

"He was dressed in normal clothes, but looked tall and skinny, like he was some sort of teenager. He was also wearing these big sunglasses."

"Any other distinguishing features?"

"Not really- Oh, that's right! He had black hair. And, well…"

"What?"

"Well, it's probably not worth mentioning, but… He kind of reminded me of someone famous. I just can't think of who."

Kallen thanked him and went over to the secretary, who was patting Eli on the back and blushing furiously. Kallen suddenly understood why she had fought so hard to shift blame away from him. "Here's our number." she said, thrusting a small piece of paper with the homicide department's number on it. "Call us if you find anything else… Unusual." The secretary nodded and took the paper from her.

On the ride back, Satoshi was quiet, but Kallen could tell he was rattled. And so was she, for that matter. Luckily, nobody at the morgue had the information that they had (except for the security guard, and Kallen didn't think he was capable of putting two and two together), so they could probably keep a tight lid on this thing. Even so, this whole situation was beyond creepy. The only conclusion that could be drawn from the evidence was that the body had gotten up, knocked out an employee, stolen his clothes, and then simply walked out of the morgue. But that _couldn't_ be true; there was no possible way. Kallen was wondering what she would tell her superiors before she remembered that she _was_ her superiors. There was no one higher to go too (or at least, no one higher that protocol demanded).

_It's not actually true, you know._ Said a little voice in her head. _There_ is_ a power you know of that might… Just might be able to do this._ Kallen gulped. She knew little about Lelouche's mysterious power, other than that it was called Geass and that he could use it to force anyone he wanted to obey him. She didn't even know how he got it or why it got out of control. But if it was possible that such powers existed, why not others? Say… The power to return from the dead? _But even that doesn't make sense_ Kallen told herself, _because even if he could come back, that man was full of bullet holes. _She had seen the pictures herself. _So how is it that-_

"We're here ma'am." said Satoshi. Kallen was startled. They had arrived back at headquarters without her noticing it. She got up and followed Satoshi outside.

"Good timing. We're back just in time for the analysis. If we hurry-"

"Satoshi?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"What we saw and heard at the morgue… That's to remain confidential. I want you to write a report just in case anything happens to us, but it's to be top secret. And by the way, I want the inscription code on the report to have a TS-GS classification, got it?"

"I- I guess. I'm not familiar with GS-class files. I've never even heard of one."

Kallen laughed. "Be grateful you haven't Satoshi. Be grateful you haven't."

* * *

The word that Douglas Steinburg used to describe himself was "logical." The word that most of his colleagues used to describe him was not used in polite company. Verbally awkward, irritable and anti-social, Doug had developed a general disliking of humanity, which he felt unfairly judged him. In many ways he was right, but this was ironically caused by his feelings of being judged, not by his other shortcomings. Regardless of any social faults, he was a brilliant analyst, able to conclude things from evidence and photographs that nobody else had ever suspected.

_Why is it that it always turns out that way?_ thought Kallen as she walked down to the analysis lab. _Lelouche was a brilliant strategist, but viewed people as mere pawns. Suzaku was a tactical genius, but felt compelled to save every life but his own. Why can't someone be highly skilled _and_ normal?_

The session was already underway by the time Kallen got there. Doug had laid out several photos of the positions of the bodies and also had data on hair and blood samples taken from the bodies. He was staring at the photos, lost in thought. Then, without even acknowledging Kallen's presence, he began to speak.

"The evidence tells us three things: One, that the man in black was fired upon first by the other five men. This is supported by the position of his body and the rate at which his blood dried. Secondly, that the man on the very left stepped back and fired upon his comrades. This also supported by the position of the bodies, and the way that the bullets entered his body indicate that he killed himself after the other men."

"But why would he do that?" wondered Kallen aloud. Doug started. Apparently he hadn't noticed her.

"Well, I suspect the seventh person could tell you that." said Doug, regaining his composure.

"Mmm... Yes, I suppose so... Wait, what? What seventh person?"

"What do you mean 'what seventh person'?" said Doug, now becoming somewhat irritated. "The photos of her are right there."

"Doug" said Kallen, heart beating furiously from another unexpected turn yet trying to be calm, "I see 11 photos right there. All of them are of the same 6 dead bodies. If there's something you see that the rest of us don't, I need you to tell me. Now."

Doug looked a little taken aback. "I guess it's not really a photo of _her_, per se. It's just evidence that she was here."

"What evidence?"

"Do you see the pool of blood in pictures 5 and 7? Note how at the edge is somewhat smeared, whereas the rest of the pool mostly just stops. That's the edge of a footprint. You can also see where that bit off blood was wiped off on the ground."

"What the... You're right. I can't believe we never noticed it before. But how do you know it's a she?"

"You can see from the outline of the print the general shape of the shoe. It's a type of generic woman's flat, probably around size 9 and a half."

Kallen felt her blood run cold. "My daughters wear shoes like that. They're part of their school uniforms. And Ashford Academy was on a field trip to the museum yesterday... Do you think the surviving person was a student?"

Doug snorted. "Of course not. Whoever else was here, they obviously were very influential. It takes dedication to kill your comrades and then kill yourself on somebody else's orders, if that's what happened here. No schoolgirl commands power like that. Plus, these flats may be school-issue, but that's not all they're used for. I've seen plenty of women of various ages wearing them."

Kallen felt herself relax. "Yeah, I guess you're right." _Yes, very curious_ she thought. _Who is influential enough to command someone to kill themselves? Who has that kind of power? _Kallen once again felt a chill. _The power to command men to do things they normally never would... Power to control their very hearts and minds..._

"Satoshi." called Kallen sharply.

"Y-yes, ma'am?"

"Lloyd Asplund is in town for the formal launch of the Gryphus, correct?"

"Correct, ma'am."

"Then the autopsy of the bodies is to stop immediately. I need you to contact him and ask for the files on his 'little hobby.' He'll know what I'm talking about. I'll also need somebody the examine the brains of the bodies using an EmgAM and compare them to the files provided by Mr. Asplund, ASAP."

"A-an EmgAM? But they're dead, it won't be able to pick up anything-"

"Satoshi, you aren't paid to question me. I need all that done as soon as possible. Now, are up to the task are do I need to get someone else?"

"Yes ma'am! Right away!"

Kallen turned away and headed to her desk, massaging her forehead. Today was supposed to be easy. Do a little investigating, stand in on an analysis, and try out her new machine. Things had already gone bad, and it wasn't even lunchtime yet.

Kallen had no idea how much worse it was going to get.


	3. Origins

Ben Johnson was, above all else, a man of great personal pride. Because of this, he did not appreciate insinuations that he was shallow, such as those made by Cecianah Kozuki.

_If that's the case,_ thought Ben musingly, watching her from across the table, _then why are you so attracted to her?_ Although it was not as though Cecianah was not attractive (_quite the opposite, in fact_ thought Ben), most boys were turned off by her somewhat curt and sharp attitude. In addition to this, she rarely did anything with her hair and almost never wore any makeup, and was thus generally ignored by most of the male population of Ashford (or at least those looking for dates. She had good friends within the male members of the student council).

It was very unexpected, therefore, that she had caught the much sought-after eye of Benjamin Johnson, star of the football team and most popular bachelor of the school. After breaking up with his girlfriend a few months before, the female population had waited with bated breath to see who he would choose next. Therefore, it came as a surprise to everyone when rumors began to creep around about Ben's next love interest. At first, people had laughed off the idea as a silly and half-hearted attempt to start a rumor. But when people jokingly asked Ben about it and he neither confirmed nor denied it... Well, that got people intrigued. What confused people further was that these rumors had been circulating for several months, and everyone had generally agreed they were true. But for some reason, Ben had still not asked her out. He had never hesitated to ask any girl he even thought he might like, but now he was hesitating. And that's what all of those competing for Ben feared most of all. _Though hopefully, those rumors will be confirmed within the next few minutes_ thought Ben, smiling to himself. It had taken months to find the perfect opportunity (_or rather, to muster up your courage_ thought Ben wryly to himself), but as of today he had two tickets to a concert (classical music, since he had heard Cecianah was into that kind of thing. He couldn't stand it, but he'd grin and bear it for her), it was a nice, sunny day, and he had woken up on the right side of the bed (quite literally, in this case; he judged whether a day would be "good" or "bad" depending on which side of the bed he got out of in his sleepy stupor).

The more he studied Cecianah, the more enraptured with her he became. He thoroughly enjoyed her naturally glossy black hair, and found her intense amber eyes intriguing. However, the more time he spent with her, the more he realized that what attracted him was not her appearance but her personality. Or rather, how little he knew of it.

When he had joined the student council sophomore year, Ben had found Cecianah somewhat amusing. Though she treated him with barely concealed disdain and contempt, he had simply shrugged and laughed it off as he always did. However, as time went on, he found himself catching little glimpses of her true personality. Little comments she made, her opinions of subjects in class, and little, seemingly random things that brought out a tiny smile, Ben slowly began to notice these things. And he began to wonder: Who really is Cecianah Kozuki?

Of course, she hadn't made it easy for him, with her disapproving glances and occasional snide comments, and Ben more than a little discouraged and depressed at times. However, in the end he always came to the same conclusion; that she must be playing hard-to-get. _Yeah, that's got to be it_ he had always told himself. But after today, everything would be different. After all, it wasn't as though-

"Ben? Ben? Hey, are you listening to me!" demanded Rachel Ashford, the student council president.

"Of course, I was, Madame President." said Ben, looking up at her and beaming his most innocent, charming smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"That's not going to work on me, mister." said Rachel, looking down at him disapprovingly. "If you don't start concentrating, I'm going to send you back to the Psychology Club as a test subject again." Ben shuddered. He had been subjected to the blushing, giggling, and barely concealed hidden messages in the questions of the girls of the Psychology Club enough to last him a lifetime, and then some.

"Glad to see you're properly motivated." said Rachel, resuming her position at the head of the table and getting back to business. Rachel Ashford, favorite niece of Headmistress Ashford, was a blond, blue-eyed, energetic, and pretty girl. If Ben was the most popular Bachelor in school, then Rachel was probably the most popular bachelorette. Though she was known to be something of a tease, this didn't stop hoards of boys from asking her out on a daily basis. Many saw her as a younger, cuter version of the school's very attractive headmistress (though as far as Milly Ashford went, several boys had expressed a willingness to "tap that," but that was another story).

"I disagree, Madame Prez." said Justin Thompson, with a broad grin that loudly declared his intention to derail the conversation from any ending that might result in hard work. "I think it's good that Ben is finally giving some serious thought into coming out of the closet." Justin Thompson, a sophomore with blond hair and purple eyes, had won over the hearts of many a female student (both upper- and lower-classmen) through his sly grin, humorous comments, and thoroughly charming manner. Though he wasn't quite as popular or well-known as Ben, he certainly had his own sizeable and dedicated fan club (both in a figurative and literal sense in this case), and the two were great friends. It was also a running joke between the two that Justin would always insinuate that Ben was gay.

"Why don't you just shut up, Thompson?" said Ben, chucking a pen at him from across the table. "I notice that I'm on the football team and you're not, so who's more likely to be gay?"

"Right. Because in order to prove that I'm not gay, I should participate in an activity that where people watch each other change into their underwear, tackle other men onto the ground, and pretend to have massive orgies."

"What is that even supposed to-"

"Ahem." Nickolas Einstein cleared his throat. "Let's do try to get some work done. We _are_ the student council, after all. We need to set an example." Nickolas Einstein was a somewhat short, round-faced boy who was not exactly the most popular person in school, the result of his shortness, glasses, and formal manner of speaking. Though he also had great friends in the student council, he was teased mercilessly by an admittedly small but nevertheless relentless group of certain boys. Despite this, he was universally recognized as one of the smartest people in the entire school, challenged only by Cecianah Kozuki herself, prodigy that she was.

"Way to kill the atmosphere, Einstein." quipped Ben.

"No, Nickolas is right." said Raiko Kozuki. "We really need to get some work done."

"Quite so." said Cecianah, glancing at the clock. "And some of us have places to be."

"What, got a hot date somewhere, Ces?" asked Ben jokingly. Cecianah only responded with a look that sent him hurriedly back to his paperwork.

About half an hour later, Rachel not-quite-officially closed the meeting. "All right, people, that's enough for today. Pack it up." Like a rocket, Cecianah rushed to the door. Ben, feeling his chance slipping away, hurried after her.

"Hey, listen, uh, Cecianah, I heard that you like classical music, so, uh-"

"Ben, whatever it is, can it wait? I'm in a hurry right now."

"No, but listen, I just-"

"_Later_, Ben." Cecianah practically ran down the hallway, leaving behind a very lonely and forlorn looking Benjamin Johnson.

Unbeknownst to Ben, Raiko Kozuki also watched Cecianah's retreating figure, eyes narrowed in anger.

* * *

Though she was almost late, Cecianah made it on time to the café. Quickly glancing around the room, she L.L. at an expansive table in the corner, and hurried over to meet him.

"Good to see you made it." said L.L. as she sat down. "Anybody tailing you?"

"No, no one's following me. Or at least, no one that I could see. I'm not exactly used to this kind of thing yet." She responded, still trying to catch her breath.

"Well, you'd better get used to it, because the enemy you are facing is highly resourceful, wide-spread, and highly placed. You never know who's an enemy and who's not. Until you have succeeded in your fight against them, you need to understand that these people will never stop hunting for you. They're probably the only other people on earth who know what happened in that garden yesterday, and because of that they both fear and hate you."

"Can you tell me more about them? These… People?"

"Certainly. You're a student, correct? I assume you've discussed the Roman Empire?"

"Uh… Yeah, if only briefly. Weren't they an Italian-based empire that attempted to make Britannia a colony around 0 A.T.B.?"

"Correct. Although there wasn't really a 'Britannia' back then; it was more of an uncivilized, disconnected land with no central government and multiple groups of warring clans. However, after Rome began to invade Britannia, an individual managed to unite the clans and actually managed to repel the Romans.

"Now, most historians agree that this individual was a political and strategic genius, to be able to unite so many different ethnic groups and have them fight together against what was then the world's greatest empire. However, what the history books won't tell you is that this man had another benefit that normal mortals could not conceive of… A Geass, just like you now have."

"How does this relate to the people who tried to kill us yesterday?"

"I was getting to that. Now, as you've obviously guessed, this man went on to become the first Britannian Emperor, and Geass and the royal throne have been intimately intertwined ever since. Indeed, there have been very few emperors who have not risen to power by using Geass, with Nunnally vi Britannia being the only significant contemporary example. Now, by this time rumors were flying back in Rome about a group of rebels whose leader had a demonic influence on men, a devilish power given to him by a witch. A group of prominent businessmen and leaders met together to discuss this new threat to the empire, and decided that they would attempt to study this new power, if it did indeed exist, and report their findings to the emperor when the time was right. However, all of their attempts to abduct this new leader or his 'witch' failed, with men mysteriously disappearing and never coming back. In a few years, the unthinkable happened, and Rome fell to Britannia, and as a result the empire completely collapsed. However, this group survived, and has slowly spread all over the world. They are everywhere; they could be anyone from the president of your country to your city mayor to the homeless man on the street."

Cecianah found herself more than a little nervous, glancing around the café apprehensively and wondering if anyone here was a member of this shadowy organization. "What do they want?"

"Traditionally, _Umbra Imperatoris_, which is Latin for 'Shadow of the Emperor,' has slowly attempted to study Geass and see how they could eradicate from the face of the earth. Originally, overthrowing Britannia was their first priority, but as Britannia grew in power, this goal seemed far more distant, and they turned their sights toward destroying Geass." At this, L.L. snorted. "Fools. They would have been better off trying to destroy the world's most powerful empire."

"Why is that?"

"Because, a Code-Bearer like myself, one who has the power to grant Geass, cannot be killed… As I'm sure you've guessed already."

"I see… And I need to fight these people using my Geass? I wish I knew more about it…"

"I could tell you everything you need to know. For example, I know that you have the ability to control the electrical impulses of a person's body. Depending on how hard you push, the person may or may not remember what they did under your influence. As a side effect of this, you can also influence electrical objects, such as cell phones or computers. Approximate range…" L.L. paused as though thinking hard. "Depends on atmospheric conditions."

"'Atmospheric conditions'?"

"Of course. Geass may be what people consider 'supernatural,' but it's just as affected by science as anything else is. All Geass powers operate through a medium, be it sound, skin, or eye contact, and it appears that yours operates by sending out some sort of signal. The range of this signal is apparently affected by the atmospheric conditions is attempts to pass through."

"Is that normal?"

"It's not entirely unheard of. I once knew a man who could read minds. His worked through a similar medium, but in the opposite way: If he was within 500 meters of a person, he could detect and read their brain waves. But I digress. The point is that your Geass has a range of, say, 25 meters on a really bad day and up to 300 kilometers if conditions are optimal."

"300 _kilo_meters?"

"That's correct. Now that we know the specs of your weapon, we must decide how you will use it to fulfill your contract."

"That's right… About that contract you mentioned… Well, what exactly is it? You never said what I was supposed to do."

"Destroying _Umbra Imperatoris_ is certainly part of it, and the part that you should probably take on first, since it benefits both you and me to do so. And in any case, the other part of the contract is deeply interrelated; doing so will inevitably help the other."

"But what is the other part?"

"You'll know that when you're ready."

Not exactly reassured, Cecianah leaned back in her chair. "Very well then. So tell me: how am I supposed to defeat these people?"

L.L. smiled. "I was hoping you'd ask that. Let's discuss this over some food. Have whatever you like, tab's on me."

"You seem to be acting rather affluent for a man so secretive he can't reveal his face to anyone."

L.L. laughed. "In my, experience, my dear Cecianah, men who hide their faces are the best kind." Cecianah blinked noticeably. It was the first time he'd actually used her name. "But while we're waiting, we might as well find out a bit about each other. And I believe I have just the tool needed to do that." He pulled a briefcase onto the table and opened it up: inside was a chess set.

They played while waiting for their food to come, and Cecianah was amazed by his skill. For this first time in her life, the child chess prodigy found herself really being forced to _think_ about her moves and how they would affect the overall situation. Just as the food arrived, Cecianah made the decision to move her king towards to opposing side.

"Oh? That seems a rather odd move. Why move your king?" asked L.L.

"If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?" asked Cecianah. "Or she, in this case."

"Interesting. I once knew a man who said something remarkably similar. However…" L.L. moved his king right next to Cecianah's.

_What!_ thought Cecianah wildly. _He's giving me victory? No… It's not just that. He said the whole point of this game was to get to know each other, right? Then this is a test._ But what exactly the test was about, or what the correct answer was was beyond Cecianah. However, she considered the situation carefully, and decided that there was only one path she should take.

And slowly, deliberately, she moved her king forward and took L.L.'s king, thereby winning the game.

L.L. seemed, if anything, even more surprised by this move. "And may I ask why you did that?" he asked.

"If the enemy you have described to be is as insidious as you say it is, then I can't hold back at all." said Cecianah, watching L.L. closely. "Anything that will prevent me from winning must be cast aside, including my own conscience or pride. If I see an opportunity, I cannot afford to ignore it."

Was that the outline of a smile beneath that scarf? "I see. Cecianah, it seems you may be a little wiser than that man was. I think I've found the right person to make this contract with."

He packed up the chess set, and they began to eat. Cecianah decided that she was officially intrigued by this man. Who was he, really? And why did he need to keep his face hidden? However, she decided, these things weren't as important as his ability to help her defeat _Umbra Imperatoris_. Protecting herself and her family took priority over her personal curiosity.

But before they moved, on Cecianah had one more question… "L.L., why did _Umbra Imperatoris_ target me specifically? I can't see any specific factor that would single me out. I'm a normal person, or at least I was until yesterday."

"The mentality of these people is hard to understand, even for me." explained L.L. "Their dedication to their goal is wholehearted: these people generally are raised from birth to be completely loyal to the organization. Within the organization is a complex set of unspoken rules that all potential members must learn from inference before becoming full-fledged members. I once tried to create an organized sleeper-agent system within the organization-"

"So you've tried to take down this organization before?"

"Yes. However, the said attempt was unsuccessful, because anyone who had been raised as a normal person was too far outside the mindset of an average member of the organization to even begin to understand the rules they followed. Most of them were eliminated, even if though they hadn't shown any outside sign of their true intentions. But once again I digress. As to why you were targeted… I'm not entirely sure, but I have my suspicions. My best guess is that you are the daughter of another code-bearer."

"What… You mean my real mother…? She was somehow related to all this?"

"Yes… Or, at least, she was if she is who I think she was. I have my suspicions, but I can't confirm them for sure. Not right now, anyway. I have a location on her, but that can wait until we get the wheels moving."

"Just one last question… If_ Umbra Imperatoris_ targeted me from the museum, then doesn't that mean they already know who I am? That means they could send someone after me at any time."

"That seems a significant possibility, which is why I had you look for anyone tailing you. Luckily, that doesn't seem the case, and in any case, you weren't their primary target going in. That would be me. Since the team that tried to kill us didn't have any contact to the rest of their command structure for security reasons, then they probably assumed that I killed them using my "demonic powers." However, you can be assured that they have contacts within the police, and depending on how observant they are, _Umbra Imperatoris _may already know that _two _people walked away from that encounter yesterday. So watch your back. Now, here's the basic idea…"

Half an hour later, Cecianah walked out of the café, feeling elated. _It really is a brilliant plan_ she thought. _All that remains is to put it into action._ Several blocks away, an _Umbra Imperatoris _agent was thinking a remarkably similar thought as looked up at the Black Knights U.S.J. charter headquarters and raised the radio to his mouth to initiate the attack.


End file.
